Next Season of ‘Desperate Housewives’ Will Be Its Last

ABC has announced the upcoming eighth season of dramedy ‘Desperate Housewives’ will be the show’s official swansong.

The news caught some by surprise, since stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, and Eva Longoria are all signed on through 2013, and ‘Housewives’ creator Marc Cherry has said he wanted the series to run for nine seasons.

Cherry won’t serve as executive producer/showrunner this fall, but he’s expected to be involved as a consultant while also developing other shows for the network.

‘Housewives’ premiered to great fanfare in 2004. While its viewer numbers have slipped in recent years, it’s been the most-watched comedy internationally since 2006, with a worldwide audience of 51.6 million tuning in every week.